Container carrier



Ot. 25, 1966 K. D. BIXLER ETAL CONTAINER CARRIER l0 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 20, 1965 KENNETH D- BIXLER ROBERT E. RALPHS $12 FEOCKS- ATTORNEY Oct. 25, 1966 K. D. BIXLER ETAL CONTAINER CARRIER l0 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 20, 1965 INVENTORS KENNETH D. BIXLER ATTORNEY Oct. 25, 1966 BlXLER ETAL 3,281,011

CONTAINER CARRIER Filed April 20, 1965 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 6 INVENTORS KENNETH 0. BIXLER ROBERT E. RALPHS ATTORNEY K. D. BIXLER ETA!- CONTAINER CARRIER 1o SheetS -Sheet 4 FIG] INVENTORS KENNETH D. BIXLER ROBERT E. RALPHS fipzp (.0. FZBCKS ATTORNEY Oct. 25, 1966 Filed April 20, 1965 FIGS Oct. 25, 1966 BIXLER EI'AL 3,281,011

CONTAINER CARRIER Filed April 20. 1965 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS KENNETH D. BIXLER ROBERT E. RALPHS BY FEBCKS ATTORNEY Oct. 25, 1966 ER EI'AL 3,281,011

CONTAINER CARRIER Filed April 20, 1965 10 Sheets-Sheet 6 KENNETH D. BIXLER ROBERT E. RALPHS ATTORNEY Oct. 25, 1966 K, D. BIXLER ETAL 3,281,011

CONTAINER CARRIER Filed April 20, 1965 10 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTORS KENNETH D. BIXLER ROBERT E. RALPHS BY @IQL FTOCKS ATTORNEY Oct. 25, 1966 K. D. BIXLER ETAL CONTAINER CARRIER 10 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed April 20, 1965 INVENTORS KENNETH D. BIXLER ROBERT E. RALPHS KSQLLJ Ffbck S ATTORNEY Oct. 25, 1966 K. D. BIXLER ETAL 3,281,011

CONTAINER CARRIER Filed April 20, 1965 10 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTORS KENNETH D. BIXLER ROBERT E. RALPHS ATTORNEY Oct. 25, 1966 BIXLER ETAL CONTAINER CARRIER l0 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed April 20, 1965 FIG. 23

INVENTORS KENNETH D. BIXLER ROBERT E RALPHS \filZL L) FfocKs ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,281,011 CONTAINER CARRIER Kenneth D. Bixler, Huntington, and Robert E. Ralphs, Katonah, N.Y., assignors to Diamond International Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 449,409 19 Claims. (Cl. 220-118) The present invention relates to a carrier for bottles or cans and has particular reference to an improved combination of plastic, aluminum, or material similar to either, with a paperboard carrier.

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to providing an economical reuseable carrier with replaceable advertising bottom section for soft drink and beer industries.

The invention seeks to provide a novel carrier which has a combination of plastic, aluminum or some similar material with paperboard. This allows the plastic-like or metal portion to be a one time purchase and the inexpensive paperboard portion to be replaced as necessary.

With the combination of the present invention, manufacturers can build into the plastic, aluminum, or a similar material top portion, all the strength which is required in the handle and separator cell areas and use the paperboard for pictorial and advertising copy.

Basically, the carrier of the present invention involves the concept of joining a permanent, more expensive, plastic-like or metal, handle and separator portions to an inexpensive, replaceable cardboard or paperboard bottom or supporting portion to create a versatile economical carrier. Replacement of the cardboard portion also allows periodic change in the advertising matter thereon.

With the new arrangement it is possible to replace the paperboard section without any necessity of tearing apart of glued portions or of the use of any gluing machines in assembling a new cardboard portion to the plastic-like or metal portion thereby allowing the use of a much less expensive assemblying machine.

In addition, the handle shape in combination with the horizontal separator sections are formed with parts shaped so as to facilitate the molding of such top portions.

A further object of the present invention is to so shape the handle and the horizontal separator sections as to have substantially unlimited stacking possible with these handles and separator sections.

An additional object of the present invention is to pro vide simple denesting means on the handle and horizontal separator section so that when stacked, these sections may be easily separated from each other and from the stack.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide cell shapes in the horizontal separator sections to receive the fingers for inserting containers in these cells.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a paperboard supporting means which may be securely locked to the horizontal separator section and yet be so perforated so as to be easily removed from the locking means of the horizontal separator section when it is desired to substitute a new paperboard supporting means.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon full consideration of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the carrier of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the flat blank from which the paperboard supporting means of the carrier shown in FIG. 1 is formed;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are partial perspective views of the paperboard supporting means showing steps in the folding and assembly thereof;

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are a partially sectioned top plan view and side and end elevations, respectively, of the handle and separator section of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a cross section view along line 8-8 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a second embodiment of a handle and separator section of a carrier of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a cross section view along line 10-10 of FIG. 9;

FIGS. 11, 12 and 13 are side and end elevation views and top plan view, respectively, of the embodiment shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 14 is a cross section view along line 14-14 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the handle and separator section of the present invention;

FIGS. 16, 17 and 18 are top plan, side and end elevation views, respectively, of the embodiment of FIG. 15;

FIGS. 19 and 20 are side and end elevation views, respectively of handle and separator sections in nested positions; and

FIGS. 21 through 24, inclusive, are partial plan views of the different embodiments showing positions of fingers for insertion of cans or bottles into cells of the different embodiments of horizontal separator sections.

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown therein combination carrier which is an embodiment of the present invention comprising a paperboard supporting means 101 attached to a handle and separator section 130 of a plastic or similar material, or of a metallic material.

The blank from which paperboard supporting means 101 may be assembled is shown in FIG. 2. Paperboard supporting means 101 may be used with this embodiment of the handle and separator section 130 or with any of the other embodiments of such handle and separator sections discussed herein.

An example of a paperboard supporting means used with the handle and separator sections to form the carrier of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, comprises a bottom panel 102 flanked by side panels 103 and 103' hingedly connected to bottom panel 102 at score lines 104 and 104, respectively. Score lines 105 and 105' form mutually parallel end margins of bottom panel 102 at which end panels 106 and 106, respectively, are connected to said bottom panel 102. Side flaps 107 are connected on opposite sides of side panel 103 at score lines 108. One of score lines 108 is colinear with score line 105 while the other score line 108 on the opposite end of said side panel 103 is colinear with score line 105. In a similar manner side flaps 107' are connected on opposite ends of side panel 103' by score lines 108, one of which score lines is colinear with score line 105 while the other of said score lines 108 is colinear with 105'. Oblique score lines 109 and 109' diverge from the corners of bottom panel 102 into side flaps 107 and 107', respectively, thereby forming triangular sections 110 and 110', respectively, hingedly connected at opposite ends of end panels 106 and 106, by score lines 111 and 111' colinear with score lines 104 and 104, respectively.

Along opposite side margins of side panels 103- and 103' are score lines 112 and 112', mutually parallel to score lines 104 and 104', to which are hingedly connected locking tabs 113, each of which includes a connecting portion 114 and end tab 115 extending laterally from both sides of the blank. Each of said locking tabs 113 is separated from the adjacent locking tab by a notched groove 116 with a notched portion of each groove converging to a point at the score line 117 connecting end I tab 115 to connecting piece 114. A similar notch is eral.

found on the sides of locking tabs 113 not adjacent the other locking tabs. Grooves 116; while separating locking tabs 113 from each other, may or may not extend completely to score line 112 and therefore in the latter case do not completely separate connecting portions 114 from each other. This latter form merely allows a continuous score line and improves the appearance of the paperboard supporting means 101 and carrier 100 in gen- In the connecting portion 114 of each of locking tabs 113 a section 118 is cut therefrom centered between opposite sides of said locking tabs 113. This open section 118 allows a reduction in the side-to-side or end length of the horizontal separator section 130 while still allowing the separate cells of the horizontal separator section to accommodate larger cans or bottles in a standard size package. With this reduction in the outside dimensions of carrier 100, there is a reduction in the amount of plastic used to manufacture each carrier and While the carriers will continue to fit in standard shipping cases they will accommodate larger cans or bottles. In addition, the open section 118 may allow a bottle or a can carried by the container carrier, the possibility of contacting the plastic or metallic material on a tangent rather than only making contact with the paperboard supporting means, thereby causing somewhat less wear to the paperboard supporting means at its locking portion. Furthermore, this opening tends to maintain the can or bottle in a centered position in each cell, thereby eliminating some rattling and movement of the containers.

On opposite sides of connecting portion 114 of each of locking tabs 113, spaced from open section 118 are perforated lines 119 delineating portions 120. These perforations 119 are necessary for a rapid disassembly of paperboard supporting means 101 from horizontal separator section 140.

In assemblying the blank of the paperboard supporting means 101, end panels 106, 106' and side flaps 107, 107' are folded inward 180 so as to overlap bottom panel 102 and side panels 103 and 103', respectively, as shown in the partial perspective view of FIG. 3. Side flaps 107 and 107' may have adhesive applied to portions 121 and 121', respectively, which portions extend from side panels 103 and 103' beyond the confines limited by edges 122 and 122' of end panels 106 and 106', respectively. By the extension of portions 121 and 121' beyond the confines of edges 122 and 122' the process of applying adhesive to these portions is greatly simplified and may be done by existing machinery. Although the application of adhesive to portions 121 and 121' is not necessary in the assembly of the paperboard supporting means, it is preferred for additional security of construction.

In the next step of assembly, pins are passed through holes 123 in bottom panel 102 from beneath the bottom panel. As shown in FIG. 3, these holes are beneath the end panels 106, 106' so that pins pushed through holes 123 force end panels 106 and 106 to be raised to a vertical position as shown in FIG. 4. Simultaneous with the raising of the end panels 106 and 106' the side panels 103 and 103' are also raised to a vertical position bending on score lines 104 and 104' respectively. With this raising to a vertical position of side and end panels of paperboard supporting means 101, triangular sections 110 and 110' are caused to overlie their respective adjacent side flaps 107 and 107' as partially shown in FIG. 4. While the primary purpose of holes 123 is to allow the pins to push end panels 106 and 106' up to a vertical position which action is either simultaneous with or im mediately preceding the use of pressure folder bars to raise side panels 103 to upright positions, these holes also have a secondary purpose which is to allow drainage of the carrier if the carriers are perchance put in wet storage cases. Preparatory to inserting locking tabs 113 in locking means 150 of the horizontal separator section 140, the end tabs 115 are folded inward so as to overlie connecting portions 114 as shown in FIG. 4. The tabs thus folded are then folded along score lines 112 and 112' in position to be inserted down through the top of locking means 150, thereby securely attaching paperboard supporting means 101 to horizontal separator section 140 to form carrier as shown in FIG. 1. Paperboard supporting means 101, or a similar type paperboard supporting means, may be assembled and attached to any of the other embodiment of the handle and separator section of the present invention, some of which preferred forms are disclosed herein.

Handle and separator section 130, shown in perspective in FIG. 1, is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 5-7. This plastic-like or metallic portion of carrier 100 has a handle 131 having a gripping portion 132 with a Wider lip portion 133 extending the length of handle 131 to facilitate the handling of the carrier 'by acting as a cushioning pad for the hand. Lip portion 133 has the additional function of adding a stifiening force and additional strength to handle 131. This gripping portion 132 is mounted on pedestal 134 connected to horizontal separator section 140. Pedestal 134 is further stiffened by its shape in cross section in the form of corrugations which further resist twisting of'the handle on the pedestal. It should also be noted from the figures that the connections between the pedestal 134 and horizontal separator section are so positioned outward from the vertical center axis of the handle so as to prevent twisting about that axis.

Horizontal separator section 140 is composed of end bars 141 connected at their ends by side bars 142, thereby forming a substantially rectangular unit. End struts 143 each have an end connected to a mid point of one of end bars 141. Side struts 144 have one end of each connected to side bars 142. Both end struts 143 and side struts 144 are mounted in a manner inclined upward toward the center, inclining upward from end and side bars 141 and 142 respectively. This inclined mounting distributes the forces on the carrier so as to achieve the effect of a heavier material in the horizontal separator section 140 giving it additional strength to resist twist. At the end which is connected to side bar 142 each side strut 144 has a substantially triangular, portion 145 having one side 146 of the triangular portion parallel and adjacent to side bars 142. Similarly, triangular portions 145' on the ends of end bars 141 have a side 146 parallel and adjacent to end portions of side bars 142. These triangular portions 145' may be molded as merely a triangular flat piece between a vertical wall equivalent to side 146 and the end portion of end bar 141 instead of the triangular portions 145 with thickness substantially equal to the height of end bars 141 as now shown in the figures.

The end portions 147 of side bars 142 are indented an amount equal to the width of the paperboard used, for a distance approximately equal to the width of tab portions 124 on side flaps 107 and 107'. This eliminates bulges on side bars 142 due to double thickness of paper-board. In addition, tab portions 124 stiffen the edge of paperboard supporting means 101 at the corners where these tab portions are located and prevent bending action at those points.

In the locking means 150 which is shown in cross section of FIG. 8, the outer wall 151 over which locking tab 113 hangs on score line 112 is formed as part of side bar 142. End tab 115 in the locking position is folded over against connecting portion 114 and has its outer edge fitting into notch 152 in the surface of outer wall 151 adjacent to inner wall 153. Inner wall 153 which has a sloping portion to facilitate the entrance of the locking means between the inner and outer walls is formed from the sides 146 (or 146') of triangular portion 145 (or 145'). Side struts 144 are so spaced from each other and from end bars 141 as to divide the distance between end bars 141 into equal cells or parts. These cell separations are completed by the bottom portion of pedestal 134 of handle 131; This bottom portion of pedestal 134 is composed of a series of attached surfaces each at an angle to the adjacent surface and with said surfaces attached to and connecting the inner ends of struts 143 and 144. As shown in the views of this embodiment, end struts 143 are substantially shorter than the distance between a side strut 144 and its nearest end bar 141. Also, side struts 144 are less than half the length of end bars 141. Connecting the end points of side struts 144 and end struts 143 at their inner ends are surface portions 160-164. In this particular embodiment surface portions 160 and 164 each connect an end of a strut 144 with an adjacent end of a strut 143. These surface portions 160 and 164 are approximately the same vertical thickness of end struts 143 since in this embodiment handle 131 does not have its pedestal 134 connected to all struts. Also, in this embodiment there is no connection directly between the inner ends of struts 144 on one side of the center of horizontal separator section 140 by a surface portion. This is clearly shown in FIG. 5. Surface portions 161 and 163 connect the inner end points of struts 143 to struts 144 and the center curved surface portion 162 connects the inner end portions of two adjacent struts 144. Surface portions 161-163 are the lower portions of pedestal 134 and extend up from their connection to the various struts to the gripping portion 132 of handle 131. I

Surface portions 161-163 form a somewhat wave-like structure when observed in the top plan view of FIG. 5, and with surface portions 160 and 164 partially bound an opening which must be of sufficient size to allow the dimensions of gripping portion 132 to pass therethrough for nesting of handle and separator sections prior to assembly with paperboard portions. The various aspects of the structure of this embodiment in regard to nesting will be discussed later in conjunction with FIGS. 19 and 20.

A second embodiment of a handle and separator section of the present invention is shown in detail in FIGS. 9-14. Handle and separator section 230 has handle 231 with gripping portion 232 attached on pedestal 234 to horizontal separator section 240. Horizontal separator section 240 in form somewhat similar to the horizontal separator section 140 of the first embodiment has end bars 241 connected at their ends by side bars 242. End struts 243 project inward from the center points of end bars 241 and side struts 244 project inward from side bars 242 from points along side bars 242 which divide each of these bars into separate portions or cells on each side of handle 231. In a manner similar to the first embodiment, triangular portions 245 and 245 are used to form locking means 250 through cooperation between side bars 242 and the sides 246 and 246' of the triangular portions 245 and 245, respectively parallel and adjacent to side bars 242.

In this embodiment pedestal 234 comprises curved surface portions 260465 connecting adjacent ends of end struts 243 and side struts 244 completing the separation of the cells of the horizontal separator section 240 in cooperation with the adjacent end and side struts. At the bottom of each of curved surfaces 260-265 are notches 272 opening downward, with curved surfaces 262 and 265 each having two notches opening downward at their bottoms. These notches 272 are to aid in the placement of containers within the carrier and are discussed later in connection with FIG. 22.

It should be noted as in the first embodiment that end struts 243 and side struts 244 are of such length that they do not reach to a point by intersection and must be connected to each other by surface portions 260-265 leaving an unobstructed center opening in the horizontal separator section which will be discussed further in connection with stacking procedures discussed in connection with FIGS. 19 and 20. Corner V-shaped legs 271 and denesting projections 273 will also be discussed further in this regard.

Locking means 250 illustrated in cross section by FIG.

10 diifers slightly from the locking means 150 illustrated in cross section of FIG. 8. As in the previous embodiment an outer wall 251, over which a locking tab somewhat similar to locking tab 113 may hang on score line 112, is formed as part of side bar 242 while end tab 115 in the locking position is folded over against a portion similar to connecting portion 114 and has its outer edge fitting into notch 252 in the surface of outer wall 251 ad jacent to inner wall 253. But since the connecting portion 254 between inner and outer walls 253 and 251 respectively extends from the top of outer wall 251 to a point on the surface of inner wall 253, a paperboard supporting means used with this locking means 250 must omit the shoulder formed between locking tabs 113. In other words, for this locking means the notched groove 116 on paperboard supporting means 101 must extend completely to the score lines 112 and 112'. Either type of locking arrangement may be formed as part of any of the embodiments of horizontal separator sections discussed above or to be discussed.

A third embodiment of the present invention disclosing a handle and separator section 330 is shown in FIGS. 15-18. Again as in previous embodiments handle 331 has a gripping portion 332 with a wider lip portion 333. Also, horizontal separator portion 340 has end bars 341 connecting opposite ends of side bars 342 with legs 371 at their intersection and with end struts 343 projecting inward from the mid-points of end bars 341 and side struts 344 projecting inward from side bars 342 and with locking means 350 formed as previously explained.

Pedestal 334 in this embodiment is formed by intersecting flat surfaces 359-370 which connect the inner ends of adjacent end and side struts 343 and 344 respectively and with connecting struts 375-378 completing connections between surfaces 359 and 364 with surfaces 370 and 365, respectively, at the bases of the surfaces, so as to form in a top plan view a double four pointed star configuration as shown in FIG. 16. This form of pedestal and horizontal separator section eliminates the need for notches at the bottom of the pedestal as previously shown in other embodiments and as discussed below in connection with FIG. 21.

In this third embodiment depicted by handle and separator section 330, a variation thereof (not shown) which allows a structurally stronger and more comfortable handle 331 and gripping portion 332 may be made by eliminating connecting struts 376 and 377 in whole or in part at the portion where they connect to each other. With the connecting struts on one side (376-377) eliminated it is possible to increase the horizontal Width of the lip portion 333, especially away from the center point of the handle and to off-set the center of the handle toward the side with the missing connecting struts 376-377, without hindering the stacking advantages of this embodiment.

One of the advantages of all of the embodiments of the handle and separator sections of the present invention is in the stacking arrangement which such configuration allows. Each handle, taking into consideration the height of the gripping portion and the thickness of the horizontal separator section portions, has its gripping portion and a portion of its pedestal extending upward through several of the horizontal separator sections and pedestal portions above it. This will form a stack of handle and horizontal separator section-s as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20. This stacking is practical because of the shortness of the end and side struts, thereby eliminating the intersection point of these struts which must be kept clear to allow the gripping portion of the next lower handle and possibly the one below that to pass through this area. This stacking procedure is illustrated with handle and horizontal separator sections but will work equally well with the other embodiments of the invention disclosed herein.

In order to accomplish this stacking with all embodiments, it should be noted that curved portions or intersecting flat portions forming opposite sides of the pedestal of each of the embodiments are connected only at their re spective gripping portions so that during stacking a gripping portion of a lower placed handle may pass upward between the walls forming the pedestal and through the top of the pedestal portion until both'gripping portions of upper and lower placed handles are adjacent each other, one substantially above the other.

When handle and separator sections, such as handle and separator sections 120 illustrated in FIGS. 1920 are nested, a piece on each section is so located as to become an aid in denesting by separating the horizontal separator sections 140 sufiiciently to allow the insertion of denesting fingers (not shown) to either lift or drop adjacent sections away from each other. In the case illustrated, legs 171 act in this manner as separators during stacking. Legs 171 on handle and separator section 130 are V shaped and located at the corners so as to rest on side bars 141 and triangular portions 145' of the handle and separator section 130 therebelow. Because of the complementary sloping portions on end bars 141, it will be noted that in this embodiment, as illustrated in the end elevation view of FIG. 20, there is no spacing for denesting fingers to enter between the end bars. But as illustra-ted in the side elevation view of FIG. 19, the legs 171 cause a spacing between side bars 142 in the stacked position, allowing space for denesting fingers to enter therebetween. Similarly, legs 271 and 371 of the respective embodiments may act in a similar manner for handle and separator sections 230 and 330, respectively, except that those embodiments do not have interfitting sloping sections as on handle and separator section 130, thereby also allowing a spacing between end bars and the insertion of denesting finger at the ends as well as at'the sides. On handle and separator section 230, this separation during stacking is additionally accomplished by the use of denesting projections 273 on the top of inner ends of struts 243 and 244 where they connect to the lower portions of pedestal 234.

In the nesting of handle and separator sections 130 illustrated by FIGS. 19 and 20, certain aspects of the construction of handle and separator sections which contribute to this nesting must be considered. Pedestal 134 is formed with some of its portions indented in a corrugated form which adds strength to the handle 131. These indentations forming the corrugated pedestal by being different on each side of the pedestal help in orientation of the handle and separator sections for nesting. The wider lip portion 133 across handle 131 acts as a stabilizer in nesting and as an aid in denesting if such denesting is done by hand. Also, the indentations in the corrugated form of the pedestal are made so as to receive the handle from that handle and separator section located therebelow in the stack. The angle that surface portions 160 and 164 form with adjacent surface portions 161 and 163 forming part of the bottom of pedestal 134 respectively, determines the number of handles 131 that may protrude up therebetween during nesting of these handle and separator sections 130. The angle between these surface portions must not be too large, although the larger the angle the more handle that will protrude therethrough, since too large an angle will take up too much room from the corner cells of the handle and separator sections 130 and interfere with the insertion of cans or bottles in these cells. Therefore, in order to allow for the smallest angle possible and also for an infinite nesting arrangement the handle and separator section 130 is constructed with struts 143 and 144 slanting upward toward the handle portion. This allows a shorter handle 131 to reach up to a greater height above the handle and separator section 130 to facilitate the grasping of gripping portion 132 between the bottles or cans in a filled carrier. Therefore, even with the greater height of this gripping portion 132 above the separator section 140 the handle 131 is actually shorter and therefore fewer handles will protrude between the surface portions 160, 161, 163 and 1&4, therefore decreasing the angle between these surface portions and allowing larger cell space without a change in the outside dimensions of the carrier. In other words, the height of the gripping portion above the paperboard supporting means bot-tom remains the same while the slanted struts change the cycle of repetition of handle insertion during the nesting of these handle and separator sections 130.

In all of the above discussed embodiments it will be noted that the triangular portions 145, 245 and the perpendicular projections 345 from side struts 344 are shorter where they extend into the center cells of the carrier in comparison to their dimensions where they extend into the other cells. This construction is used to allow more clearance for bottles under an outward camming action by allowing greater flexibility of the side bars of the carrier, since when the carrier is picked up with a full load of bottles or cans therein, the fingers of the hand in grabing the handle or gripping portion .132, 232 or 332 produces a camming action which pushes the bottles outward tending to bend the center of side bars 142, 242 or 342. The strength of the carrier is still such as to withstand damage to the carrier despite this bending action.

As can be determined from a study of the construction of handle and separator section 130 the weight of the bottles or cans held by carrier is carried by the frame through end struts 1 43. The remaining side struts 144 are used to prevent an in or out movement of the overall package and to maintain rectangular shape of the carrier. In the remaining embodiments of handle and separator sections 230 and 330 all of the struts transmit the weight to the frame and in addition help to carry the weight through the connection with the handles.

When a paperboard supporting means as illustrated in FIG. 2 having perforations 119 defining perforated portions 120 is used with the handle and separator sections of the present invention, it is preferable that side bars and locking means have sufficient strength to withstand the gripping action of the locking tabs 113 along perforations 119 during disassembly of the paperboard supporting means 101 from the handle and separator sections.

The automatic insertion of containers, either cans or bottles, into the carriers of the present invention is accomplished by means of fingers 80 which guide a container 81 into each of the separate cells. The fitting of fingers 80 into the cells of the horizontal separator section depends upon the shape of these cells in the different embodiments of the present invention. The fingers 80 are usually of a flexible type.

A cell of the horizontal separator section 340 is illustrated in FIG. 21. In this form of the cell the fingers 80 may fit into the cell without interference from any of the cell walls due to the shape of the cell. The fingers 80 which are trapezoidal in shape in horizontal cross section are fitted in the corners of the cell with one of the fingers 80 fitting into the corner formed by intersecting surface portions 362 and 363. But in embodiments where there is a rounded surface between struts such as in horizontal separator section 240, there are notches 272 at the bottom of the curved surface portions enabling one of fingers 80 against this curved surface to be inserted within the cell without interfering with the bottom surface portion of the pedestal as shown in FIG. 22.

When the fingers 80 are inserted in a cell as in horizontal separator section illustrated in FIGS. 23 and 24, the fingers 80 are at first diagonally opposed to each other. This is illustrated in FIG. 23. The inclined portion of the cell, for example surface portion 164, receives the finger 80 thereagainst. The finger then moves along the inclined surface portion 164 until reaching the pocket formed by the intersection of surface portion 164 and strut 144 as shown in FIG. 24. This allows suificient room for the movement of the fingers 80 within the cell so that the fingers 80 can now be removed, leaving the bottle -or can within the respective cell.

All of the handle and horizontal separator sections disclosed here may be used with the paperboard supporting means also disclosed herein, or paperboard supporting means of a similar type.

The handle and separator sections shown in the several different embodiments of the present invention have a number of advantages over prior art carriers. These handle and separator sections can be produced on a simple two-piece die and for ease in shipping the design allows infinite nesting within itself as mentioned previously. This nesting also allows simplification in the process of firmly and evenly handling the handle and separator sections during machine feeding.

In addition, the carrying stability of such handle attachment is increased due to the attachment of the handle being close to the outer perimeter of the horizontal separator section. This design has a tendency to prevent twisting of the handle. The suspension of the handle provides a superior transfer of forces from the paper base supporting means up to the gripping portion of the handle. Also, the curving or corrugations of the pedestals add stiffness to the handles due to the placement of the surface portions in different planes.

Furthermore, the handle and horizontal separator means in conjunction with the paperboard supporting means is compatible with existing bottling equipment with a minimum of modification to such equipment.

Although all of the embodiments illustrated are of a carrier for the holding of six bottles or cans, the invention should not be so limited. All of the principles discussed above may be applied to a structure for carrying eight bottles or cans or any even number of containers. Embodiments used for carrying additional numbers of containers would merely require slight changes of structure such as additional side struts from the side bars either to the end struts or to bottom portions of the pedestal depending upon the form of the embodiment to be altered.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and therefore, the invention is not limited to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A container carrier comprising a separator section including a pair of end bars forming opposite edges of said separator section,

a pair of side bars forming opposite sides of said separator section and having their ends connected to ends of said end bars forming a substantially rectangular separator section,

a first plurality of struts projecting inward of said separator section with their outer ends connected to midpoints of said end bars,

a second plurality of struts connected to said side bars and projecting inward of said separator section,

a handle attached to said separator section including lower surface portions of said handle connected between adjacent inner end-s of said struts,

and paperboard supporting means hanging from said separator section by opposite ends of said paperboard supporting means.

2. The container carrier of claim 1, further characterized by said struts inclined upward from their connections with said side bars and said end bars toward their inner ends.

3. The container carrier of claim 1, further characterized by the length of each of said second plurality of struts being less than one-half the length of said end bars.

4. The container carrier of claim 3, further characterized by the length of each of said first plurality of struts being less than one-third the length of said side bars.

5. The container carrier of claim 3, further characterized by said second plurality of struts having their outer ends substantially equally spaced from each other and from the ends of said end bars,

the length of each of said first plurality of struts being less than the spacing of said second plurality of struts from said end bars.

6. The container carrier of claim 4, further characterized by locking means located along said side ba-rs each including an outer wall including one of said side bars,

and an inner wall parallel to said outer wall including projections from said second plurality of struts with a surface substantially perpendicular thereto.

7. The container carrier of claim 6, further characterized by said projections having a triangular shape.

8. The container carrier of claim 4, further characterized by projections extending below said separator section attached substantially at the intersecting connections of said end :bars and said side bars.

9. The container carrier of claim 4, further characterized by projections extending upward on the inner ends of said struts.

10. The container carrier of claim 4, further characterized by end portions on each of said side bars stepped in from the remaining center portion to form an indented step at each of opposite ends of said side bars.

11. The container carrier of claim 4, further characterized by connecting struts connecting an inner end of each of said first plurality of struts with an inner end of an adjacent one of said second plurality of struts.

12. The container carrier of claim 11, further characterized by said handle having surfaces in a plurality of different planes whereby said handle is thus stiffened.

13. The container carrier of claim 4, further characterized by said lower surface portions of said handle being concavely curved surfaces having at least one downwardly opening notch in each of said concavely curved surfaces.

14. The container carrier of claim 5, further characterized by said lower surface portions of said handle being substantially flat surfaces extending downward on each end of said handle,

connecting struts extending between said lower surface portions of opposite ends of said handle forming in conjunction with said lower surface portions substantially a pair of connected four pointed stars in horizontal cross-section.

15. A one-piece blank having a planar cut and scored body member including in combination,

a first rectangular panel flanked by second and third rectangular panels hingedly connected on opposite mutually parallel hinge lines,

said panels including mutually parallel end margins intersecting the hinged connections of said panels,

said flanking panels including opposite mutually parallel side margins,

each of said panels including flaps extending from said end margins and hingedly connected to each other on fold lines colinear with the hinge lines of said first, second and third panels,

1 1' said flaps at the ends of said flanking panels including diagonal fold lines diverging from the corners of said first panel and extending through said flaps, locking tabs extending laterally from and hingedly connected to said side margin-s each including an intermediate transverse fold line parallel to said side margins and forming two panel segments therein, a first panel segment adjacent and attached to one of said flanking panels, the other attached at said transverse fol-d line to said first panel segment, said first panel segment having side portions defined by perforated lines extending from said side margins to the sides of said first panel segment. 16. A stack of a plurality of articles, each article comprising a separator section including a pair of continuous end bars forming opposite edges of said separator section, a pair of continuous side bars forming opposite sides of said separator section and having their ends connected to ends of said end bars forming a substantially rectangular separator section,

a first plurality of struts projecting inward of said separator section with their outer end-s connected to midpoints of said end bars,

a second plurality of struts connected to said side bars and projecting inward of said separator sec tion,

and a handle attached to said separator section in cluding lower surface portions of said handle connected between adjacent inner ends of said struts,

said stack comprising each said article in said stack resting upon the article therebelow, and each said handle passing between inwardly extending opposing inner ends of said struts of said article the-reabove. 17." The stack of a plurality of articles of claim 16, further characterized by each said handle also passing between opposing surfaces of said lower surface portions of said handle of said article thereabove connected :between adjacent ends of said struts.

18. The stack of a plurality of articles of claim 16,

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,565,810 8/1951 Guyer 220-104 X 2,742,221 4/1956 Hickin 22931 2,821,327 1/1958 Glazer 220102 2,949,219 8/ 1960 Frankenstein 229-31 3,039,651 6/1962 Lang 220110 3,055,543 9/1962 Russo 2201 16 3,063,595 11/1962 Smith 2201 13 3,115,266 12/1963 Poupitch 220102 X GEORGE O. RALSTON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CONTAINER CARRIER COMPRISING A SEPARATOR SECTION INCLUDING A PAIR OF END BAR FORMING OPPOSITE EDGES OF SAID SEPARATOR SECTION, A PAIR OF SIDE BARS FORMING OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SEPARATOR SECTION AND HAVING THEIR ENDS CONNECTED TO ENDS OF SAID ENDS BARS FORMING A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR SEPARATOR SECTION, A FIRST PLURALITY OF STRUTS PROJECTING INWARD OF SAID SEPARATOR SECTION WITH THEIR OUTER ENDS CONNECTED TO MIDPOINTS OF SAID ENDS BARS, A SECOND PLURALITY OF STRUTS CONNECTED TO SAID SIDE BARS AND PROJECTING INWARD OF SAID SEPARATOR SECTION, 